Machine for treating tobacco stems



Fan. 12 1924. 1,483,244

- L. T. RASMUSSEN MACHINE FOR TREATING TOBACCO STEMS Filed March: 2o..-1922 s Sheets-Sht 1 L aw it s T. R asmwssen;

L. T. RASMUSSEN Feb. 12 1924. 1,483,244

MACHINE FOR TREATING TOBACCO STEMS Filed March 20, 1.922 s'sxieets-shet 2 ig A I7- 5 I9 18 M/ a 0 2! go a" as. l $0M 9 l I- l 3i m m z I 16 H b 27 I I as 3+ 1! 7' 7 as E L z 1 11 II 11 IL Ft!!! I (I ILA? Us Ruin 912i,

Feb. 12 1924. 4 1,483,244

' L. T. RASMUSSEN MACHINE FOR TREATING TOBACCO STEMS Filed March 20, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Lam, L 15 T. Rasmussen,

Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

F f" l E IOWA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T0 NIELS K. SKRIVER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

MACHINE FOR TREATING TOBACCO STEMS.

Application filed March 20, 1922. Serial No. 545,266.

so that the threadlike tissue or fibers will be divided or pulled apart to lie each other, though not entirely their entirety.

The invention includes a machine of such arrangement that entire tobacco leaves may loosely upon separated in pass through the machine without injury for a treatment of the stems, as well as stems which have been separated from the leaves. The invention consists of the novel con struction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein,-

Fig. 1 is a rear, side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an end view of the frame and mech anism. Fig. 3 shows a transverse section through the rollers. Fig. 4 is a view of the machine in longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail to clearly show a bearing block. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail illustratinp an adjustable mounting for a roller. Fig. 7 is a front view of the machine. Fig. 8 is an end view of the frame and mechanism mounted thereon. Figs. 9 and 10, respectively, are plan and edgewise views of a to bacco leaf to illustrate the effects of treatment of the stem.

It is well known that, in the manufacture of tobacco, a great waste generally occurs from inability to use the tobacco stems. The present invention is adapted to so loosen and separate the fibers of the stems that the product may be used in the same manner as the leaf, either as a filler for cigars or as smoking tobacco, without injuring the quality or cheapening its value, and thereby effecting a great saving to tobacco manufac turers, since the stems may be utilized in their entirety.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, I provide a frame which includes abase 1 formed as a rectangular receptacle, within which are mounted a pair upright end-plates 9r casings 2,

a block 12 and held in these being connected by a top-plate 3, the end-casings 2 of the machine by a curved guardflalates 4.

In order that the stems 5 of the leaves 6 of tobacco (Figs. 9, 10.) may be treated in such a manner that they may be used to advantage by manufacturers as fillers for cigars or other useful purposes, I provide a pair of rollers 7 and 8, each'being provided midway between its ends with a rugose collar 9, said collars or rollers being revoluble in opposed directions, and one of the rollers moving at a greater degree of speed than the other, said rollers being disposed parallel, one above the other, and normally being maintained in spaced relation, one roller, however, being movable transversely, under pair of transversely control of an operator, to cause engagement of the collars 9 with each other, the result in operation being that, when the tobacco leaves are fed into the machine, the stems will become shredded by action of the col lars while in engagement therewith, the parts of the leaves at the sides of the stems re maining uninjured.

To carry the above operations into effect. each end-casing 2 is provided with a slot 10 opening on its upper end. Numerals 11 and 12 respectively indicate apertured bearing-blocks, arranged in pairs and adapted to be slidingly mounted in the slots 10, said bearingblocks being provided with slots 13 which open on their ends for receiving the walls of the casings 2. The roller 7 is provided with trunnions 7 adapted to be dis posed in the apertures of the blocks 11, and the roller 8 is provided with trunnions 8 having hearings in the apertures of the blocks 12.

Numerals 14 indicate a pair of springs. each being disposed between a block 11 and position by an upright pin or stop-lug 15, the degreeof resiliency of these springsbeing sufiicient to normally maintain the rollers 7 and 8 in spaced relation with their collars 9 vdisengaged.

Means are provided, by use of which an operator may move the roller 8 downwardly, against the force of the springs 14, to cause engagement of the collars 9, said means consisting, in part, of a bell-crank 16 which is mounted to swing from a bracket 17 secured to the top plate and eccenbeing connected at the front trio lever 18 disposed in an aperture 19 formed in said plate and arranged to swing from a pivot 20 which is mounted in the flanges 21 of said plate, said lever being connected with an arm of the bell-crank by a link 22 and adapted to have a swinging movement by actuation of the bell-crank tor pressing a bow-spring 23 downwardly to move the collars 9 into engaged relation, the ends of the bow-spring being in engagement with the bearing-blocks 12.

Numeral 24 indicates a spring which connects the lever 18 with the top-plate 3, operating to control one of the movements of the bell-crank, and the parts as described operate to great advantage for the purposes mentioned. The roller 7 may be rotated tor the operation of the machine, by any suitable power applied to one of its trunnions 7, but it will be understood that the collar 9 of the roller 8 will not engage the collar 9 of the roller 7 until the blocks 12 have been pressed downwardly by action of the spring 23 together with the lever 18 actuated by the bell-crank. The bell-crank and parts connected therewith are employed for the purpose of moving the collars 9 into engagement whenever desired, and a downward swinging movement of the arm a of the bell-crank is preferably effected by use of a treadle 25.

Numerals 26 and 27 indicate a pair ot cylinders, each being provided at its middle with a circular depression or channel 28 having numerous small, outwardly projecting teeth thereon, indicated at Z). The cylinder 26 is provided with trunnions 26' and the cylinder 27 is provided with trunnions 27, these trunnions having hearings in blocks 29 which are disposed in apertures 30 formed in the walls of the casings 2. The circular channels 28 ot' the cylinders are disposed adjacent to the rugose collars 9 of the rollers. Each cylinder revolves in a direction opposed to the direction of r0- tation of the roller adjacent thereto, the result in operation being that the stems will be carried outwardly of the machine on the depressed parts 28, the teeth operating to remove the stems of tobacco from the collars 9, this being a feature of importance since, otherwise, the stems, which are moist when shredded, would adhere to and become wound upon said collars.

Means are provided for adjusting the cylinders. transversely, so that the rugose collars 9 may enter the circular channels 28 to he more or less closely to the teeth I), as may be required, and in some instances to permit contact of the teeth with the collars for scraping the shredded stems from said collars and maintaining them in a clean condition, said means consisting of setscrews 31 which are threaded in lugs 32 which are provided for the upright walls of the end-casings 2, each set-screw 31 being provided with a head 0 engaging in a recess (Z formed in a block 29, and. it will be understood that the blocks 29 may be moved horizontally by rotating the set-screWs when making said adjustments, the apertures 3Q havinga width greater than the width oi the blocks 29. to permit this operation.

Any suitable arrangement of co-operating gear wheels may be employed for moving the rollers and cylinders in the directions described. In order that the constructum for this purpose may be effective and will consist of few and simpleparts, the respective trunnions T of the roller '7 are provided with pinions and. 34:. The truunions 26 and 27 ot the respective cylinders 26 and 2'7 are provided with engaging gear wheels 35 and 36, and one of the trunnions 8' of the roller 8 is provided with a gear wheel 37 adapted to engage the pinion As above stated, for purposes of operation, the roller 7 may be revolved by any suitable power applied thereto, and its pinion at will cause the gear wheel 35 to rotate in the same direction as the rotation of the pinion 34 for the reason that a pinion 38 is provided and is driven by the pinion .3 1, said pinion 38 being in engagement with the spur gear 39 which moves with the gear wheel 35. The rotation of the gear wheel 35 mentioned, will cause a rotation of the wheel 36, to cause rotatable movements of the cylinders 26 and 27.

Numerals 40 indicate plates for enclosing the mechanism within the end-casings 2. Any suitable means may be provided for conducting water to one of the rollers, the means herein shown being a container l1 and sponge 42 therein beneath the roller 7, within the receptacle 1, and water will be conducted to said roller when the latter rotates, which operates to moisten the tobacco stems and tobacco leaves and renders the stems pliable before they are shredded.

In operation, the upper roller 8 is pressed downwardly by use of the foot-treadle 25, its collar moving into engagement with the collar of the roller 7 and the tobacco stems are passed between the guards a and move rearwardly between the collars 9, the stems thereby becoming shredded, the difierence in the degree of rotation of the rollers contributing materially in the operation, the treatment of the stems being such and the shredding being so complete that the brous parts will lie loosely upon each other to occupy a much greater space both as to width and thickness, as indicated at co in Figs. 9 and 10, than formerly, and after passing between the collars 9, the teeth I) in the circular depressions 28 of the cylinders operate to remove the shredded stems from the collars.

As described, the bearings for the lower roller are stationary relative to the frame, and the bearings for the cylinders are not movable vertically, and the bearings for the roller 8 are movable in the slots 10. It will be noted that the roller 8 is normally maintained with its longitudinal axis in a plane somewhat above the longitudinal axis. of the cylinder 27, but when, by use of the treadle 25 the roller 8 has been pressed downwardly until the bearing-blocks 12 engage the stop-lugs 15, the axes of the cylinder 27 and roller 8 will lie in the same horizontal plane, this feature being of advantage so that the teeth Z) will suitably engage the rugose collar 9 of said cylinder 8.

While I have described construction in detail, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself in this respect, and changes in size, form, proportion and minor details may be made, as found to be of advantage, said changes being determined by the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim as my invention,

1. In a tobacco-stem treating machine, the combination with a pair of rollers provided with rugose collars and journalled to rotate in reverse directions with their collars in engagement, of a pair of reversely rotatable cylinders each being provided with a circular channel having projections and disposed with its channel receiving a collar of a roller.

2. In a machine for the purpose described, the combination of a revoluble roller provided with a rugose collar, a second revoluble roller disposed above the first named roller and provided with a rugose collar, a bell-crank arranged to be reciprocated, mechanism connected with the bell crank for moving the first named roller to dispose its collar in engagement with the collar of the second roller, and a pair of revoluble cylinders having peripheral projections, each cylinder being disposed adjacent to and approximately parallel with a roller with its projections in engagement with a rugose collar of a roller.

3. In a machine for the purpose described, a revoluble roller having stationary bearings and provided with a rugose collar, a second revoluble roller having movable bearings above the first named roller and provided with a rugose collar, revoluble cylinders having adjustably movable bearings, each being provided with a circular channel having projections and disposed with its channel receiving a collar of a roller, and means for moving the bearings of the first named roller to permit engagement of its collar with the collar of the second roller.

4. In a tobacco-stem treating machine, a pair of revoluble cylinders each being provided with a circular channel having projections therein, a pair of revoluble rollers provided with engaging, rugose collars each being disposed at the side of a cylinder with its collar disposed in the channel of a cylinder, and means for moving the cylinders to permit the collars of the rollers to engage the projections in the channels of the cylinders.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAURITS T. RASMUSSEN.

Witnesses:

HIRAM A. STURGES, ARTHUR H. STURGES. 

